Why Native Americans Don’t Go Bald And How To Use Their Secrets To Get Longer, Thicker And More Beautiful Hair

Native Americans and Hair Loss: Already famed for their long, straight, jet black hair, Native Americans have become something of a phenomenon in hair loss research circles. Scientific observation has discovered that some tribes are apparently completely immune to the most common form of hair loss – male pattern baldness.

Whilst surveying men about hair loss, researchers have consistently found that men from tribes with ancestry from the Alaskan Bridge (in the North of the country) are almost completely free of the genetic hair loss condition Androgenic Alopecia. Those most likely to avoid pattern baldness have a strong heritage within their tribe that stretches back generations.

Hair plays a large part in Native American culture
Perhaps because of their hardy follicles and scalps, hair has always played a large part in Native American culture. According to tradition, the Navajo tribe would cut the hair of their children on their first birthday, after which it would be left to grow untouched for the rest of their lives.

It’s all about the genes
Male pattern baldness is caused by a genetic anomaly that sees the hormone testosterone converted into a secondary compound – an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT for short). DHT then attacks follicles in the scalp, causing them to shrink.

Hairs growing from the affected follicles get thinner and lighter in colour as growth slows. Eventually the follicles shrink to the point that the attached hair falls out and new growth is prevented. This process is repeated in thousands of follicles across the scalp, leading to vertex thinning - the development of a large bald patch on the crown – and a receding hairline at the front of the head.

Native American Hair Care Tip 1
The first hair secret is movement. What’s movement? Movement is head exercise. Native Americans will use a scalp massage every day to stimulate blood flow to the scalp.

Native American Hair Care Tip 4: Oiling the hair is the one thing that natives do.

Native American Hair Care Tip 5: Discover some interesting plants used for healthy and beautiful hair that the ancient elders discovered hundreds of years ago.

Bearberry: A remedy for an itchy scalp. A tea was made from this evergreen shrub and mixed with grease and boiled cattle hoofs to use as a salve for an itchy, scaly scalp, baby rashes and skin sores.

Creeping Juniper: Juniper root for shiny locks. The berries from this evergreen scrub (also called creeping cedar) were made into a tea that was used as a wash for skin problems. Juniper root was also soaked in water to wash the horses, making their coats shiny. It’s now used in hair care products for shiny and healthy hair.

Saw Palmetto
Saw Palmetto was used by Native Americans for hair, scalp and skin care. Due to its ability to balance hormones in the body, it was used by Native American women to get rid of facial hair. It is now believed saw palmetto regulates excessive hair growth in women by suppressing DHT production in the body (a hormone produced by testosterone).

Sweetgrass
This flat-leafed bladed grass is considered sacred. It is smoked to purify individuals and their surroundings, and is used in ceremonies. It is even handled in a special way and with respect due to its spiritual powers. Some Native American women decorated their hair with sweetgrass. As a wash, sweetgrass was used to treat windburn and chapped skin. The tea can also be used as a hair tonic to make the hair shiny and fragrant.

Wild Mint
Wild Mint for hair and skin. The Cheyenne Indians in Montana used a decoction of the wild mint plant as hair oil. The Thompson Indians of British Columbia used the whole plant soaked in warm water to make a solution that was used in hair dressing. Mint was also used in bath water to alleviate itchy skin.

Yarrow
Yarrow for Fragrant Hair. Native Americans used an infusion of the leaves from this strong-scented perennial plant as a hair wash. The Okanagan Indians of British Columbia mixed the leaves and stems with white clematis (a perennial with bright yellow flowers) and witch’s broom branches to make a shampoo.

Yucca
Yucca for hair growth. The yucca plant was used by several Native American tribes to encourage hair growth and to prevent baldness. The roots of young yucca plants were used for shampoo. The crushed roots were soaked in water to make a hair wash. Other methods involved peeling the bark of the root, which was rubbed in a pan of shallow water to make suds to rub into the hair and scalp. Yucca was also used as a hair wash for newborns by the Zuni Indians to help their hair grow healthy and strong.

Always loved Native Americans beautiful hair. Now I know why. But, I am surprised as the use from what mother nature gives. They are smarter than doctors and wiser then most people. And no I am not Native American, I am first generation American, Parents from Belguim and Germany. I do however have next to my heritage I respect the Native Americans. Jenny

Dirt. It clings to oily particles. With enough dirt you can get the oil off your hair/body first, then just rinse off in a clean stream or river. My nay-wa (grandmother) used to tell me natives used to have greasy hands after eating and would run them through their hair to make it shine and healthy looking. I oil mine after washing, just not so traditional. Wouldnt want my scalp smelling like baconcheesburgers. Oh and even though I shower everyday, the mop only gets it every 2 or 3 days.

The patient leaves the operating room with very short hairs that fall in the following days. It's okay, because what is not the transplanted hair, but the follicle root. Although falling, from three or four months he will rise again. The end result is obtained one year after surgery. Until then, gradually improving. And that, of course, continuing the specific treatment to stabilize his alopecia.

I really love Native American Stories, Movies, their hair and mostly importantly is wishing to marry a Native just to have children with long hair. Thanks for information that was very natural. Love it

I am a 56 year old full-Native woman and I don't have any white hair. People always ask me if I dye my hair. I am very fit, eat healthy and I haven't touched alcohol for almost 30 years. I wash my hair every other day, even though I sweat from my workouts - to keep the natural oils. When I was a young woman, I used to perm my hair a lot, my Aunt told me to quit doing stuff to my hair or I was going to get white hair. I followed her advise.

Your luck with what genes you inherit is the main factor to going bald or staying with a full head of hair. The same applies to greying, Of course if you mistreat your hair with perming and dying it you can expect such chemical assaults to weaken and damage the hair. I am 55 with very thick mid brown hair. Dad lived to 83 with thick brown full head of hair. Mother-in-law is 94 still had dark brown hair with minimal greying!

I met a navajo on my trip in Southwestern America and she does me a traditonal navajo hairstyle. She brushed my hair with a "grass-brush" (?) like that one in a picture in your post. Do you know where I can get such a "hairbrush"? My hair was so smooth after brushing it with this and now I'm looking for such a brush! The navajo woman couldn't sell me a brush and in a museum they also didn't know where to get it. I hope you maybe know where I can get such a "brush" from grass.Thank you!﻿